The Firelings
#6513.87 adjusted 3.94 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1981 Reading commitment Low Carol Kendall Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
The Firelings is a standalone fantasy novel by American author Carol Kendall, first published in 1981. It is set among the Firelings, a people who live on the edge of a volcano called Belcher. In their tradition the volcano was once a sky-creature, and long ago the Firelings fed it sacrificial victims. When Belcher begins to rumble again, the community is divided between those who want to offer another victim and those who refuse. The only other way out is a hidden route called the Secret Way of the Goat. Kendall also wrote the Minnipins books, but the sources checked do not place The Firelings in that world. The book was published in the United States by Atheneum and in Britain by The Bodley Head.
Mythic fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Firelings Carol Kendall
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Firelings | 1981 | 1 | core | 3.87 (69 ratings) |
A standalone fantasy novel about a people living on the edge of a volcano.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Firelings? The Firelings's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Firelings finished? Complete (1981).
- How much reading does The Firelings take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Firelings ranked? #651 in this site's official ranking, based on 69 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #651?
Ranked #651 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.87 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (69 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.05 behind #650, The Book of Knights.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 69 ratings · Ranks #651 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award, 1983: won: The Firelings
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.87 across 69 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 27 universes; 5 candidates ruled out; older open items closed accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Worlds Without End: The Firelings Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Carol Kendall (writer) Tier 2
- Reading and Writing and Movies, Oh My! review Tier 2
- Marmot library catalog record Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = The Firelings (1981).